Verdict
The CMF Phone 2 Pro keep everything that made the original so appealing , and tot up much more besides . The television camera are way safe ( and there are more of them ) , the screen is improved , it ’s slimly quicker , and it has NFC for contactless payment . unite all this with a fun modular accessory system , and you ’ve got a budget headphone that ’s heavy to beat .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
I immediately fell in passion with the CMF Phone 1 when it launch last yr . It cost just over £ 200 , but it was the arctic inverse of everything else in the budget securities industry .
Cheap phone incline to be tiresome . The selling percentage point is the terms , and otherwise , brands are attempt to drift a encompassing net , appeal to as many masses as potential . CMF dare to do things differently , with a unique modular design and dissentious , far-out looks . It delivered the merriment that the budget market place was escape .
Now , less than a year later , the CMF Phone 2 Pro has arrived . It has a very similar feeling , supports modular appurtenance , and comes with pot of upgrades . Despite the name change , though , the price has only increased marginally – and oddly enough , there does n’t seem to be a non - Pro version .
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The original CMF Phone was already an loose good word , and at least on newspaper , this phone seems even better . I ’ve been testing it out for the past calendar week or so to find out whether it really is thebest budget phonearound .
Design
The CMF Phone 2 Pro looks a muckle like the Phone 1 that came before it . It still has exposed nooky on the back panel , the modular Accessory Point at the bottom right nook , and it ’s about the same size .
It ’s a sheer purpose , and it wo n’t be for everyone , but in person , I ’m a huge fan . I bed to see Nothing uphold to take risks with such unique esthetics , specially in the budget market , where most trade name tend to play it dependable .
This class , there are a few changes to the design . For dispatcher , the tv camera are much more prominent , and there are more of them . While I would n’t call theCMF Phone 1‘s cameras a weak power point , they sure were n’t social class - leading , and the excogitation change is our first indicator that we ’re in for some ascent .
Next is the refinement of the rear panelling . I have the Light Green manakin in for testing , and Nothing says it ’s designed to mimic the face and find of a matte drinking glass back with metallic side rail . It ’s still made from plastic , and the effect is n’t entirely convincing , but it feels a little more premium than the matt black model I tested last year . It also experience like it ’ll be less prone to scratches in the long run .
If you select the signature Orange model , you get a two - shade finish that ’s half matte and half metal , meanwhile , the White version has a panelled sandstone finis . It ’s nice that there ’s more variety this yr , but you should note that the panels wo n’t be sold individually , and they are n’t plan to be easily removable like the original CMF Phone .
rather , Nothing is sell accouterment kits that come with a bolt - on adapter photographic plate called the Universal Cover . It adds a lens system thread , so you’re able to utilise the new screw - on macro instruction and fisheye adapters , as well as MagSafe - style magnets that cultivate with the fresh wallet - kickstand jazz band accoutrement .
Unfortunately , I was n’t able-bodied to try these new accessory myself , but I did get my hands on the lanyard . It screws into the Accessory Point , just like older version , and indeed , it work out on both the Phone 1 and the Phone 2 Pro .
It ’s a middling unpaired approach this time around , and I can only take over it was done in the name of water electric resistance , as the CMF Phone 2 Pro has an IP54 rating , up from IP52 .
Despite Nothing ’s recommendation , though , I could n’t help but stress to remove the back . And it turn out it ’s very easy to get into . You ’ll ask a spudger to do so , but it only take a few minutes with the screws removed , and then you ’ve got full access to the barrage fire and the repose of the internals .
CMF Phone 1 and CMF Phone 2 Pro. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
This means mending will be very soft for anyone with the correct skillset , and that ’s something I always care to see . It ’s worth noting , though , that there ’s some adhesive have the rear gore in place , and once it has been take aside , I ca n’t imagine it being quite so water - resistant .
Another alteration with this mannikin is the addition of the Essential Key , which latterly debut with the Phone 3a serial . It works in the same way on this speech sound , and I ’ll go into more item about that later on . I like that it has a clear-cut feel , just as it did on the 3a , but I still ended up pressing it when I was purport for the lock release quite ofttimes .
Screen
The CMF Phone 1 come with a 120Hz OLED gore , which is pretty standard for high - destruction speech sound , but not a collapse in the budget market place ( the £ 599iPhone 16estill has a 60Hz panel , after all ) .
I thought it was more than good enough , but not one to remain on its laurels , Nothing has upped the specification for the CMF Phone 2 Pro . This time it shoot a line a peak brightness of 3000 nits , up from 2000 nits .
It also now supports 10 - turn colour , whereas the older panel was 8 - snatch . If you ’re unfamiliar with these terms , it basically mean the Phone 2 Pro can expose over a billion colours , while the Phone 1 is work with around 16.7 million .
Viewing the two sound side by side , the difference is well-heeled to see . The CMF Phone 2 Pro read a lot less banding when gradient are on screen , and colours look more vivid and accurate , too .
The bezels are also more symmetrical on the newer fashion model . The original had a slender mentum , in that the lower bezel was slightly stocky than the others . That ’s no longer the case , and it makes the phone look much more agiotage .
ultimately – and this is a very underage affair , but it ’s a detail that I cerebrate matters – there ’s a new chamfered bezel at the edge of the video display . The original had a microscopic lip that stick out more than the ice , and I could sense it every time I execute a swiping gesture from the edge .
On the CMF Phone 2 Pro , the cover is still wholly flat , but this new bezel provides a smooth airfoil to filch from . It almost make the sieve feel like a quad - curved panel . It ’s these kinds of mo item that are often overlooked in the budget segment . So , hats off to CMF for turn to it .
Cameras
in all probability the most impactful change with the CMF Phone 2 Pro is the upgrade camera organization . While the older example may have face like it had two television camera on the stern , there was really only one ; the other was a depth sensing element to help in Portrait Mode effects .
It was n’t a bad camera , but having a individual lens of the eye feels dated in 2025 , and that all changes with the CMF Phone 2 Pro . An 8MP ultrawide and a 50MP 2x telephoto have been added to the roll , and the main sensing element has been advance , too .
The main sensor is now a 1/1.57 - column inch whole , up from 1/2 - column inch . This is one of the big sensors that you ’re probable to find in this price range , and it lead in much full low - light guesswork . It can even create some rude bokeh when you get up close .
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As you might expect , the 8MP ultrawide is by far the weak camera , but it ’s not any worse than the ultrawide camera that you detect on some of thebest mid - range phonesaround . Compared to the main lens system , you recede a lot of detail , and images often reckon coarse and oversharpened . Still , it ’s a utilitarian focal distance , and I ’d rather have a fair ultrawide than no ultrawide .
The 2x telephoto , on the other hand , is quite impressive . It seems to be mainly design as a portrayal lens , and when you switch into Portrait Mode , it ’s the nonremittal . It works majuscule for this intent , but it ’s also just a nice manner to get photos with somewhat more considered framing and less distortion .
I really like the way airless - up shots look on the 2x lense , as the long focal distance create some pleasing setting contraction . Unfortunately , at present , you have to fight with the tv camera computer software to achieve this . It try on to exchange into macro mode whenever you get close-fitting , which utilize the independent sensor . I keep having to switch into Expert mode just to force the phone to use the camera I had pick out .
If the conditions are less than perfect , your best bet is to stick to the main tv camera . The larger sensing element does a much good job when it ’s dark , while the accessory lenses are prostrate to gesture blur and granularity . It ’s also the most detailed , disregardless of kindling condition , but on undimmed days , the gap between the main and 2x is fairly small .
Around the front , there ’s a 16MP biff jam selfie camera , and it appear to be unchanged from the last example . It ’s not the most remarkable camera , but it gets the line done nicely . I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled challenging lighting , too .
I feel like Nothing has been working on its Portrait Mode essence lately . I was enjoyably surprised by theNothing Phone 3a‘s capabilities , and the CMF Phone 2 Pro seems to be greatly improved too . Despite lacking a depth sensor , Portrait cutouts were much more reliable .
In video mode , you may inject at up to 4 chiliad 30fps on either the master or telephoto camera . Meanwhile , the ultrawide can only shoot at up to 1080p 30fps . The selfie photographic camera is also limited to 1080p , but it can shoot 60fps .
I would n’t call this a telecasting workhorse ; you ’ll often see dropped frames , and the stabilisation could still habituate some work , but we have to remember that this is a budget phone . The footage is more than adept enough for the odd social media post .
Performance
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro inside . It ’s fundamentally the same fleck that was in the CMF Phone 1 , but it has been tweak to deliver 10 % faster processing and a 5 % graphics improvement .
There are two versions to choose from . Both amount with 8 GB of RAM , but you could select either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage . I ’m testing the latter modeling , but that should n’t have any impact on the carrying into action .
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a microSD card slot , and it ’ll accept up to 2 TB of additional storage , so you could always save a routine and buy an SD card instead . I ’m always glad to see expandable storage options – it ’s something that ’s becoming more scarce every year .
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As the spec sheet suggest , this raw processor is n’t a huge upgrade over its precursor . Benchmark scores show a enough upheaval in CPU - intensive labor , while nontextual matter carrying out is only slenderly better . In reality , I could n’t really feel a difference .
Gaming feel about the same , too . Frame rates might be high , but we ’re verbalise a frame or two per second , and it ’s not enough to make a obtrusive deviation . I found that Genshin Impact run for well on the lowest graphical preset at a solid 30fps , but you ’ll see dips if you push the art any higher . It ’s a decent show at this price .
alfresco of gaming , the CMF Phone 2 Pro feel very nimble and snappy . It ’s very easy to forget that it ’s a budget equipment and not an upper mid - ranger . Swiping through the O is as suave as can be , apps open fairly promptly and the only time I could experience the difference was when loading search upshot , which took a fraction of a 2nd longer than it would on a higher - end handset .
Software
The CMF Phone 2 Pro runs Nothing ’s heavily stylised version of Android 15 , call Nothing OS 3.2 . It ’s the same software system that you ’ll retrieve on the make ’s other devices , and while the styling likely wo n’t be for everyone , the efficiency and bloat - innocent install almost for certain will .
I ’m a big fan of Nothing OS , and I love how easy it is to make my apps monochromatic ; it makes for a nice minimalist homescreen . For my tastes , it ’s one of the best - looking Android skin around .
The best thing , though , is that it does n’t come loaded with tonnes of unwanted apps . Budget phones are usually a nightmare for this , as companies attempt to offset the hardware cost with bundle software package , but somehow Nothing manages to keep thing clean . It ’s the form of software system experience that unremarkably take a premium price .
The Google integration incline late , too . You get all the latest features , like Gemini and Circle to Search , and services like Google Password Manager work more seamlessly on this earphone than they do on competing machine .
The magnanimous young feature this year is called Essential Space – and if you ’ve read up on the Phone ( 3a ) series , you ’ll no doubt be conversant . There ’s a strong-arm button underneath the curl button that ’s designed particularly for this new lineament .
A single pressure of the Essential Key takes a screenshot , a long insistence takes a voice note , and a double crush take you into the Essential Space , where these images and recording are stored . If the photographic camera app is capable , you may now use the Essential Key to take a photograph , which will then be store in the same placement .
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The idea is that it acts as a second computer storage , so when you come up across anything you need to think of , you just tap the button . Then , AI summarise the images , transcribes the screenshots , and get them searchable .
I like the conception , but there are a pair of issues : The first is that it ’s not crabbed - platform , so you’re able to only get at the Essential Space on a Nothing equipment . As a technical school commentator , that ’s never gon na cultivate for me , but it could pose less of an subject to others .
The second is a bad one . There are great deal of reports suggesting that the Essential Space will be a pay feature in the future . Unless lots of impressive features are added , I ca n’t see many citizenry being invite – and I desire Nothing decides to let us remap the button if it goes that itinerary .
One of my biggest gripes with the CMF Phone 1 was that it did n’t support NFC , so you could n’t use it for contactless payments . gratefully , with the CMF Phone 2 Pro , that has been cover , and I ’m pleased to report that Google Wallet do work flawlessly .
Another giving win is that the software support window has been increased . The CMF Phone 2 Pro is set to receive three years of major Android oxygen raise , as well as six age of security patch . Sure , it does n’t quite compete with Samsung and Apple ’s flagship insurance policy , but it ’s a big improvement over the two years of upgrades and three geezerhood of security dapple offer previously .
Battery life
The CMF Phone 2 Pro has the exact same shelling electrical capacity and charging speed as its predecessor . However , despite packing the same 5000 mAh cellular phone , Nothing reckons it ’ll last about an hour longer than its predecessor . I ’d assume that ’s thanks to some software tweaks .
To be honest , with my normal use , I did n’t point out much of a difference . That ’s not a bad affair , though ; the original already had not bad shelling life , and this is just as good .
On average , I was ending the day with about 40 % barrage stay on , and if I used the phone more guardedly , I could just about manage two days between charge .
There ’s no battery charger in the box , just a skillful Nothing - branded USB - A to USB - atomic number 6 cable . If you require to complete the set , you could grab the CMF 65W GaN charger – although that might be a little expensive to couple with a £ 219 speech sound that only utilises 33W.
I used my Ugreen Nexode desktop charger , which should be able to deliver the maximum advertised velocity . It was able to take the phone from all in to around 60 % charged in half an hour . It ’s not blazing - tight , but it ’s by all odds not a job to keep this French telephone topped up .
Should you buy it?
For just £ 219 , the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a wonderfully gross computer software . The cameras are solid , the screen is adorable , the functioning is great , and the software is splendid . It ’s hard to find a phone that bid as much for such a lowly request price .
If you ’re a hardcore gamer , you might find the performance of the CMF Phone 2 Pro to be miss . It produce the line done , but you’re able to presently catch a Poco F6 for just £ 30 more , and it ’s much more up to .
Final Thoughts
The CMF Phone 1 was already my go - to budget phone good word ; The 2d version is importantly improve , and it only cost £ 10 more than its predecessor ( at MSRP ) . The styling wo n’t be to everyone ’s taste , but if you ’re into the feeling , this is easily one of the good headphone in its price range .
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is stylish , it come with premium , flowing package , it has great cameras , and most significantly , it ’s fun . You wo n’t find this kind of modular appurtenance ecosystem anywhere else , and the fact that it can be had at such a down price is astonishing .
The pain point of its predecessor have been addressed , too . There ’s now NFC for contactless payments , multiple cameras for versatile framing , a higher water system resistor rating , and a longer window of software support .
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Of naturally , it wo n’t be the perfect fit for everyone . If gaming is your thing , you might want to look at the Poco F6 , which can be had for just £ 249 now that it has been out for a while . Meanwhile , if you want something with more traditional flavour , the Motorola G85 might be a good pick .
As a concluded package , though , I mean you ’ll need to expend significantly more to beat the CMF Phone 2 Pro . It ’s an absolute deal .
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How we test
We essay every mobile phone we reexamine thoroughly . We use industry - standard trial run to equate features properly and we use the speech sound as our main gimmick over the review time period . We ’ll always tell you what we find and we never , ever , take money to review a product .
retrieve out more about how we essay in ourethics insurance .
FAQs
The CMF Phone 2 Pro is IP54 rated , which means it can handle splashes of water system from all commission , but it wo n’t outlast full immersion .
Yes , the CMF Phone 2 Pro supports microSD cards with up to 2 TB capacity .
Test Data
Full Specs
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CMF Phone 1 and CMF Phone 2 Pro. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
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